Pic of the Day

Pac Man

Fail Pic of the Day

Yeah, put it INSIDE, that makes sense.

FAIL PIC OF THE DAY

Band Name Fail

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

No matter what your views on this man are, you have to admit that he made a huge impact on a great many people’s lives.  All life is to be valued and treated with respect.  We lowly human beings are fallable and mistake prone, yet we are always judging those around us, pointing out the bad instead of extolling the good.  I will say this for the man, he sure could dance.

So close!

You know that feeling you get when you are almost home….and time seems to just stand still, as if it is sitting back and laughing at your futile hopes and dreams and mocking you? Yeah, I’m definitely there. Not long left to go out here, so thoughts of my return home weight heavily on my mind.

I have my first few meals planned out, the comfy clothes I can once again wear, the movies/shows I want to watch, and, most importantly, all of the things that I want to do with Tiffany when I get back.  I am trying to come up with as many ‘Spend time with each other’ activities as I can.  It may just be that I dote on her and smother her in affection and suffocate her so much with my constant presence that she will wish that I were back in the ocean sailing around the world. I am going to sit there and stare at her constantly.  I am going to stay awake and watch her sleep next to me as peaceful as an angel.  I am going to take her to dinner and movies and for long walks along the pier, and I may even cook a meal or two for her (*note to self: green pancakes seldom appear appetizing….personal experience).

With all these fantastic plans in the works, time stumbles and trips and seems to crawl along like a caterpillar.  There are those rare days when I wake up and go to work only to find myself leaving work in what seems like only a few hours time. 

Yesterday was one of those days. 

The busier I stay the quicker my day seems to draw to a close.  But on days like today there is nothing much to do.  I added another Fail Picture to my Blog, made some facebook friend requests to people I knew at Eastlake High School, and I am now rambling on about precious time that I seem to be wasting at the moment.  So, with those final remarks, I am off to eat some unknown substance that they call food on this ship, carefully avoiding the fish and using every precaution to judge the mystery meat accordingly.

Fail Pic of the Day

Consumer advertising at it’s best.

Fail Pic of the Day

Be yourself, because every one else is already taken.

Why have you given up on your dreams and ambitions? Yes, you! You know who you are. Remember way back when how you said, “I am going to be somebody and I am going to do something with my life! I am going to be a _______.” Well, what happened? Why are you flippin’ burgers and the burger shack, or stuck behind a desk with a migraine from 9 to 5, or offering 3 free months of cable to the next ‘lucky’ person to pick up the phone?

Answer?……………………Life!

It isn’t easy, is it? I mean, one day I am working at Subway asking customers if they want to double their cheese for 50 cents, and I know that it is temporary and that I am just about to get out there in the world and be somebody,…………and the next day I am floating around in the ocean on an aircraft carrier in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. It wasn’t my original plan by a long shot, but here I am.

I am very happy. It should not be said that I live day to day with a chip on my shoulder simply because I am not parading around the country performing on stages for hundreds of people. I am extremely happy with my life. I am married to an amazing woman who loves me and who supports what I do 100%. I have a very stable job that pays the bills and offers my family a very good standard of living. I still dabble in the creative juices from time to time too, but not on a dramatic level.

The point I am getting at is this: At what point to we abandon our dreams and figure that all is lost? At what point have we reached the point of no return? When do we accept life “as is”?

One of my goals the past few weeks has been to contact some celebrities. Don’t get me wrong, though, because the point isn’t to glorify myself and brag that Joe Schmoe celebrity sent me an e-mail, it is to find out what makes them tick. So, I posed the same question to 4 different celebrities. Those celebrities are:

Jim Brickman – Pianist, adult contemporary/new age/romantic piano artist.
Josh Groban – Singer, baritone.
Craig Bartock – Guitarist/multi instrumentalist for the legendary band Heart.
Jay Sankey – Close-up magician/mentalist and illusion creator.

The question that I asked each of them was what caused them to not give up on their dreams, and to keep on pushing even when it got tough.

So, of the top four famous folk, all but Josh Groban have contacted me. Jim Brickman passed some words of wisdom on to me via his fan secretary. Jay gave a quick nudge of encouragement at an idea I presented to him on a magic effect. But the real winner here has to be Mr. Craig Bartock. Craig is a music producer that I heard about through a mutual acquaintance a couple years back. He used to be in the band Heart and has worked with a very eclectic range of music and musicians. Here is what he had to say:

Hi Brian,

Just a couple of things you should remember while going through this musical journey. First of all, your talent is what it is … plain and simple. Know that there’s no yardstick to measure it by …. and that includes other people and their various degrees of success. Seriously, it’s just an illusion. Don’t be afraid to throw your music out there and let it be heard. As I’m sure you are aware of, the music business isn’t anything like it used to be. The days of “making it” are over for the most part (unless you are 18, on American Idol or the luckiest person on earth). That’s bad and good news for the smaller entrepreneur. There’s a ton of ways to your music out there now without bowing down to some record company. Explore all of the avenues …. Myspace, Broadjam, Twitter, CDBaby, to just name a few. The most important thing is to just be honest with your music. Don’t write what you think someone else will like. Write from the heart. The last step is to make sure that your production reflects that. Make sure that it is professionally done and that it’s really an extension of you.

That’s about the best advice I can give to you. I do hope you go for it.

C.

Now, aside from the fact that this person actually took the time himself to respond to my question, he also brought insights and great advice to the plate. I mean, I am unique…..just like every one else. The only measuring stick out there is the one that I limit myself by. What it all comes down to is whether or not I believe in myself. Jim Brickman passed along that it doesn’t hurt to have friends and family that support you and that also believe in your dreams, but if you don’t believe in yourself than you have already failed.

I also have written letters in the past to the following:

Lance Burton – Vegas magician, first American to win the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) which is pretty much the Olympics of Magic.
David Copperfield – THE magician, dramatic and innovative magician. Youngest ever magician inducted into the Society of American Magicians (SAM).

Lance Burton said that the best place to start is to read up and study about what it is you want to do. Make yourself knowledgeable about magic, or music theory and composition, or the histories of people that accomplished what it is you want to accomplish, or whatever else it might be. David Copperfield didn’t really say anything, but sent me a nice autographed picture of him with a personalized note. Eh, he is still THE magician in my book.

I wouldn’t trade my life in for anything or for anybody else’s life. I am very happy with my position in life. That being said, I do have dreams and goals, and I don’t think that it is too late to reach for them. I have those around me that love and support me and I have an un-yielding passion for the talents and skills that I have been blessed with. So now it is just a matter of doing something about it. That is why I put goals up for myself from time to time. If I truly believe that I can do something with my life, something that is truly monumental, the only one who is going to stop me is staring back at me through the mirror.

For all of you who have doubted yourself and who have put your dreams on hold, don’t loose hope! If you really want to do something, what is stopping you? There will always be reasons why not and excuses are a dime a dozen. Don’t let fear and conformity get in your way. Make plans for what you want to do, and then go out and do it.

You can be successful even if the world doesn’t know your name. If you take care of your family and love and cherish them, you are very successful and, most likely, very happy. My dreams do not spring from a lack of joy and satisfaction in life, but from a desire to do good with the blessings that have been given me. Nothing is impossible to the Lord and I don’t believe He gives us talents if He doesn’t expect us to use them for good.

It isn’t too late. Find a renewed belief in yourself and in your hopes and your dreams. And remember, always be yourself, because every one else is already taken.

45 Lessons Life Taught Me

I thought I would share this. I agree with about 95% of this, though I am not anywhere near being 90 years old.

-

Written
By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer,
Cleveland, Ohio

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45
lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column
I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in
August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still
good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next
small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time
hating anyone…
4. Your job won’t take care of
you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay
in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every
month.
6. You don’t have to win every
argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more
healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with
God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with
your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate,
resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it
won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children
see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to
others. You have no idea what their journey is all
about.
14. If a relationship has to be a
secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the
blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never
blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the
mind.
17. Get rid of anything that
isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you
really does make you stronger.
19.It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the
second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after
what you love in life, don’t take no for an
answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice
sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a
special occasion, Today is
special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the
flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait
for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is
the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your
happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster
with these words ‘In five years, will this
matter?’
27. Always choose
life.
28. Forgive everyone and
everything.
29. What other people think of you
is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything.
Give it time.
31. However good or bad a situation
is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so
seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in
miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God
is, not because of anything you did or didn’t
do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up
and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the
alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one
childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the
end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles
are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in
a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours
back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You
already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to
come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up,
dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow,
but it’s still a gift.”

So, How Are Those Goals Coming?

I am happy to report that I am actually doing quite well in my endeavors to accomplish my goals.   Here is where I am at so far:

Get my air warfare qualification-Should be done by the end of the month.

Pass my next history exam-I passed it with flying colors.   I aced the final exam, which is a huge load off.

Finish The Tipping Point- I passed the half-way mark yesterday.  Anybody who knows me knows how rare it is for me to read anything this fast.

Read a book in Spanish-I need to find one first.  Ideally, I wanted to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish again, but I don’t have one with me.  I did, however, have a full-blown conversation with one of my Chiefs the other day.  He was blown away that I knew Spanish.  Now he tries to talk to me in Spanish whenever I see him.

Write a letter to at least one celebrity-So far David Copperfield and Lance Burton have been very kind.  I can’t count David Copperfield or Lance Burton, of course, because that was some time ago.  I did get an e-mail from Kenneth Cope, to wish me a happy birthday.  Perhaps I will try and get a hold of Jim Brickman again.  Last time I got an e-mail from his assistant, which I suppose is a good start.  I may also contact Danny Elfman, because his music is incredible.

Comprise a magic show and start performing in public-The show is most definitely in the works, however I can’t perform anything just yet as I am deployed and my tricks have not arrived yet.

OK, so I am well on my way with most of this.  I still have over 2 months left to go, of course, which is plenty of time.  I don’t want to set any other goals until these ones are accomplished.